PUDUCHERRY: Increment for two police officers has been stopped for three months on disciplinary grounds on Thursday. Police inspector Gidla Sathynarayana of Thirukkanur Circle and sub-inspector M Coumar of Thukanur will not get a salary hike for suppressing facts in a case of sexual abuse of a minor in 2021.
As per the order issued by Director General Police Manoj Kumar Lall, a department inquiry found that the officers deliberately suppressed facts related to the case, and did not immediately investigate the matter, as per the CrPC. They also kept the Superintendent of Police (West), concerned with the case, in dark. The case was registered only after the intervention of the SP (West) and other senior officials. This amounts to serious injustice to a victim of the sexual assault and is liable for major punishment under disciplinary rules, stated the order.
The victim, who was in love with Ranjith Kumar (accused 1) went to a house with him on June 9, 2021 well past 9 pm to find three other boys present there. When the mother of one of the boys returned to the house, she was scared to see a girl with them and immediately called the Thirukkanur police station. The police escorted the girl to her grandmother’s house, but no case was registered on the said date. By leaving the boys scot-free, critical evidence appears to have been lost out on. Secondly, the ASI who had brought the girl and boys to the police station did not make the girl a part of the inquiry. The order added that no effort was made to ascertain if the girl had been subjected to any kind of abuse by the suspects.